Imaging devices, such as a desktop printer, print images sent to the printer from a user's computer or other network device, onto print media, such as paper. To facilitate the use of the printer, it is desirable for the printer to include some means for monitoring the amount of paper remaining in the printer to notify the user when the printer is out of paper. In some printers, the printer included a media sensor placed in the paper tray in communication with a microprocessor of the printer. When the media sensor detected that no paper remained in the tray, a signal was generated, alerting the user that the printer was out of paper. However, in some printer designs, placing a media sensor in the paper tray may not be feasible or desirable. Thus, it is desirable to provide an alternate method for detecting when the printer is out of print media.